Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced today that his detectives have arrested a woman who sent a letter containing what appeared to be a potentially dangerous white powder to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to frame her ex-lover. The envelope, received yesterday, August 14, caused an emergency response by the Phoenix Fire Department’s Hazmat team, in conjunction with the Phoenix Police Department’s EOD (explosive ordinance disposal).
This situation demanded an immediate, serious response, triggering the evacuation of 25 sheriff’s employees and over 50 emergency responders, to include sheriff’s investigators. “I am concerned with the unitization and diversion of the numerous emergency resources during record breaking 117 degree heat, over what seems to be a possible hoax involving a lover’s quarrel,”Arpaio said.
Alma Pacheco, twenty-five years old, was arrested at approximately 3 a.m. today and booked into the Sheriff’s jail, charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor: knowingly causing an emergency response, stalking, computer tampering and harassment.
The investigation began at around 2:15 p.m. Friday, when a Sheriff’s civilian employee on the 5th floor, where the Sheriff, his chiefs and other high-ranking officials and assistants are located, opened a letter addressed to the Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, with a return address from Juan Barrera Pineda in Scottsdale. A preliminary sample test by Phoenix Fire Department revealed that the powder contained cornstarch, and the substance was taken to the state laboratory for further testing, to ensure that nothing else was uncovered.
Sheriff’s detectives determined that the Scottsdale address on the envelope was fake, and tracked down a Juan Barrera Pineda in Mesa. Upon arriving at his door, Pineda’s nephew informed them that his uncle was at work at Casino Arizona. Pineda was located at the casino, and told the detectives that he had been having issues with a former girlfriend. He showed the detectives his phone, which contained more than 6,000 texts from Alma Pacheco. Some of the texts stated that if Pacheco didn’t hear from Pineda, she would send cornstarch to the police in an attempt to get him in trouble.
The detectives located Pacheco at her home at 1611 W. Highland Avenue in Phoenix. She admitted sending the letters to the Sheriff’s Office would attracted more attention. In a similar twist Gregory Shrader who received a seven year prison term after sending a bomb to Arpaio, also used a similar method by trying to frame his business partner. Pacheco utilized the return
address and name of Pineda as the sender to frame him in this case as well.